Manuel served as a national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2010-2013), Manuel is the owner of San Francisco-based private practice, MV Nutrition and the recipient of five ‘‘Best Bay Area Nutritionist’’ awards from the San Francisco Chronicle, ABC7 and Citysearch.

His warm, approachable style and his bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish have made him an in-demand health and nutrition expert on local and national television and radio channels, as well as in articles appearing in print publications and online. Manuel is a compelling, charismatic speaker.

Born and raised in Peru, Manuel makes his home in San Francisco. He earned his bachelor of science in nutrition and physiology metabolism from the University of California, Berkeley, and his master of science in nutrition and food science from San Jose State University. He has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards for his research and contributions to the field of dietetics.

Entries by Manuel Villacorta

June means rainbow flags as far as the eye can see. For me, the rainbow is an especially important sign. It of course represents the diversity of the gay community. It is also the flag of Cuzco in my home country of Peru, where it symbolizes the ancient Incan empire....

Yes, it can be expensive to eat healthy. But it doesn't have to be. Many foods are high in nutrition but low in cost. Often they'll take a little more time and effort to prepare, but they'll be good for both your budget and your body. Time is money, but...

Last month I went back to my native Peru to visit the capitol, Lima, and explore the new food developments popping up. Since I wrote my two Peruvian superfoods books, Peruvian cuisine has taken off in the United States as well as around the world. Those popular effects...

March is National Nutrition Month, making for the perfect moment to check in with your eating. Believe it or not, there are still new discoveries in the world of nutrition -- it's an exciting time to explore healthy and delicious foods you might not already know. That's why I'm using...

Everyone starts the new year wanting to make a change and to make it fast. With that in mind you might be tempted to try a quick detox. But I suggest that instead of a detox, you do a reboot. The common idea of a detox can be a detour...

It's here. The season of holiday parties at work, at friends' houses, with family... It's an intense time of year. And every year I talk to clients who are so worried about all the caloric holiday foods that they find it hard to enjoy the great things about the holiday...

November is not only known as the Thanksgiving month, but is also known as Movember. The term "Movember" is the clever portmanteau of "moustache" and "November," fashioned from the idea of growing a moustache beginning Nov. 1 to help bring awareness to men's health issues. The creators of Movember carry...

Latin American food gets a bad rap from people who think it's unhealthy. But nothing could be farther from the truth! Our traditional dishes are full of healthy ingredients prepared with love. Let's start with two of the biggest: beans and cilantro. For Hispanic Heritage month, I want to encourage...

Did you see the news about our nation's war on cheese? Earlier this week, the FDA announced that it was banning the sale of cheeses aged on wooden boards. That would include many of the cheeses imported to the U.S., as well as much of the artisinal cheese made here....

Rice -- there is no other crop that has fed more people over a longer period of time. The documentation of rice dates as far back as 2500 B.C., where its cultivation and consumption played an intricate role in Chinese culture and cuisine. The farming of rice has...

Valentine's Day, a day of love and romance, is thought to be named after the patron Saint Valentine. While there are many stories about Saint Valentine, revealing him as a romantic and heroic figure, my favorite involves the notion of exchanging "valentines." This legend suggests that upon his...

It's the new year, and we are still in January, so I know many of you are continuing to work towards your resolutions. I'd like to help you get off on the right foot by telling you about five common diet mistakes that can be a huge barrier to weight...

Aging is a natural process, but of course we intervene in it all the time, for better or worse. Medicine is now capable of keeping us alive longer than ever before, but we undo many of those benefits by eating badly. Just as poor nutrition can contribute to disease and...

For years, we've all accepted the common logic that olive oil is a healthier choice than other oils. But for many of us, that's been the extent of our exploration of and education about oil. The fact is, there are a number of beneficial oils we can use for cooking...

Lately, Peru is having a culinary moment. Chefs are heralding the cuisine with the enthusiasm they once reserved for France. Peruvian restaurants are popping up in major cities everywhere. On his "Parts Unknown" program, Anthony Bourdain dubbed Peru's cuisine one of the most underrated in the world. The United Nations...

Nutrition can be a political fight, but there is one area where everyone agrees -- vegan, Mediterranean, even Paleo -- is on the importance of the kitchen. Your relationship with your kitchen is as important as any other relationship in your life, and like all relationships it takes a little...

Tax season is stressful for everyone. It takes a particularly physical toll on those who prepare taxes, whether business owners or accountants. I want especially to talk today to people in fields impacted by tax season. Because if that's you, you're under a lot of stress right now. And that...

March is national nutrition month, and today I am going to focus on a few foods that provide great health benefits. When it comes to the foods you consume, I am sure you have heard to eat the rainbow, and you should take this advice. Due to pigmentation, many foods...

It's the new year, and that means resolutions. If yours involves making a change in your diet with weight loss as a goal, you are facing a dizzying array of information out there. There is a great deal of evidence about what practices help weight loss, much of it contradictory....